Soft and chewy chocolate chip pudding cookies are gooey and flavorful thanks to vanilla pudding mix. This twist on chocolate chip cookies is a fail proof favorite!
Soft cookie recipes are the best! Other favorites include pudding cookie recipes like butterscotch pudding cookies or pistachio cookies and these cream cheese cookies.
Table of Contents
Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies
These pudding cookies are my all-time favorites! They taste similar to my best chocolate chip cookie recipe, but have a softer texture like chocolate chip sourdough cookies.
One of my friends made this chocolate chip pudding cookies recipe for a church activity a few months ago and shared it with me. Unlike a flat, more crisp original Toll House cookie recipe, they have a gooey middle like my double chocolate chip cookies and stay soft and chewy for days!
The Secret Ingredient: Vanilla Pudding Mix
Powdered vanilla pudding mix is a magical ingredient that makes these the best chewy chocolate chip cookies!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Instant vanilla pudding mix: You only need to use the dry instant pudding mix and no added ingredients. This secret ingredient makes the chocolate chip pudding cookie recipe extra soft.
- Salted butter: I like to use salted, but you can use unsalted if you prefer.
- Sugars: I love to use a mix of light brown sugar and granulated sugar for extra sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: Even more vanilla to amp up the flavor.
- Eggs: This helps bind everything together.
- Baking staples: All-purpose flour for structure and baking powder and baking soda to make the cookies a little lighter.
- Kosher salt: I like to add a little extra to enhance the flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: The chocolate chips help balance the flavor, you can use a mix of milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet or even white chocolate chips.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- Cream together the butter and sugars using an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add the vanilla and then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- In a separate bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.
- Slowly combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients until mixed thoroughly.
- Fold chocolate chips into the cookie dough and stir to combine.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown. For soft cookies, the centers will look a little underdone. Rest on the pan for a few minutes, then move to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Pudding Cookies Tips and Variations
- It must be instant pudding mix (not cook & serve). Don’t make the actual pudding!
- You can do a mix of milk chocolate and white chocolate chips, make a white chocolate chip cookies recipe or even try butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips or dark chocolate chips.
- My preference is using instant vanilla pudding mix, but chocolate would work too.
- This recipe calls for the smaller box of instant pudding mix (3.4 oz). If you can only find the bigger one, add in a little more than half a box! It will be fine if it is not exact.
- Add chocolate chips on top of the cookies right out of oven for the perfect touch!
- Make them mini sized like my favorite mini chocolate chip cookie.
Want more chocolate chip cookie recipes? Try brown butter chocolate chip cookies, triple chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Other Favorite Cookie Recipes
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Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter , softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (just the dry mix)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips , plus more to taste (can do a mix of milk or white)
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the 1 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth and fluffy. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 2 eggs one at a time until combined.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/3 cups flour, 3.4 ounce dry pudding mix, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Slowly stir into the wet ingredients until well combined. Fold in the 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips.
- Scoop. Using a medium cookie dough scoop, portion the dough onto the baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown; you want the center to look a little underdone. Let sit 2 to 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk!
Notes
- Add it in dry…don’t make the actual pudding!
- This recipe calls for the smaller box (3.4 ounce). If you can only find the bigger one, add in a little more than half a box! It will be fine if it is not exact.
- It must be instant pudding mix (not cook & serve).
- You can substitute other flavors of pudding mix (i.e. chocolate, butterscotch, etc.), however vanilla is my favorite.
- Dough: Freeze the cookie dough in balls until solid and then store in a freezer bag up to 3 months. To bake from frozen, place cookie dough balls on a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet and let sit at room temp while the oven heats up. Add 1 to 2 minutes to the original cooking time.
- Baked cookies: Let cool completely, then add to a freezer bag. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
You won’t believe how moist these soft chocolate chip cookies are, and it is all because of the pudding mix. Dry pudding mix contains cornstarch which helps absorb and retain moisture which results in softer cookies. It also adds a really nice flavor, which you can mix up depending on what type of cookie you want to make.
Vanilla is my favorite type of mix to use in these chocolate chip pudding cookies, but you can substitute other flavors too. Chocolate pudding, white chocolate pudding, banana pudding or even cheesecake pudding could be used.
Yes! The cookies won’t bake the same and the texture will be different if you use a cook and serve pudding mix. Stick with the instant.
Store baked cookies 2-3 days at room temperature in an airtight container. You can also freeze baked cookies up to 3 months.
Flash freeze the cookie dough in balls until solid then keep in a freezer bag and bake straight from frozen! Place cookie dough balls on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet, let sit at room temp while oven preheats, then add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time.
Categorized as: American, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookies, Desserts, White Chocolate Cookies
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
These are my favorite go to cookies. I use a cup of M & M and I mix up the second cup w all different kinds of chocolates. These are so very easy to make and my grands LOVE them.
Great idea! :)
I made about half of the batch and froze the rest. Do you have any tips on when I bake the frozen batch?
Whenever I freeze my cookie dough, I freeze the cookie dough in balls until solid and then keep in a freezer bag. I usually bake straight from frozen! I put the cookie dough balls on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and let sit at room temp while the oven heats up, then add 1-2 minutes to the original cooking time. :)
Can’t wait to make these!! Thank you for sharing!
Loved the pudding cookies!
It makes them so soft!!
SO good
Can the cookies be made with self rising flour in place of all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda??
I haven’t tried that before, but if it has worked for you in other cookie recipes, than I would give it a try! :)
How many cups is 2.25 cups flour?
What if I only have baking soda and not baking powder? Can I still make this recipe?
I haven’t made these without the baking powder, but I have heard you can substitute 1/4 of the amount of baking soda for baking powder. :)
I’ve tried many chocolate chip cookie recipes and this one has to by far my favorite. I’m not a huge fan of white choc chips so I used 2 cups of mini choc chips. Thank you for the recipe this is now my go to recipe!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these! Thanks for your comment and review Katherine!
OMG i am pregnant and i was craving these sooooo bad untill i realized i didnt have instant vanilla pudding so I used butterscotch and just the dough is HEAVEN !!! Cookies are baking now and man me and this baby is so happpy!!!!
Sounds delicious!! I’m so glad your pregnancy cravings were fulfilled! :)
Hi what is pudding mix. I really want to make these
Hi Joanne! It is a box of instant vanilla pudding mix. It is found in the baking aisle. :)
I just made these and they turned out just like the picture, they are amazing!!! Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these! Thanks for leaving a comment! :)
I LOOOOVE these cookies, it makes perfect chocolate chip cookies and I love the minimum ingredients. It’s my go to.
Ran out of vanilla mix and used a 4.2oz box of Oreo pudding, used only 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips and they came out beautifully. Moist but not cakey.
This and the brown butter cookies are my go tos. I usually mess up the brown butter cookies but these cookies always knock it out of the park.
I’m so glad these are your go to! We love them in our house too! :)
Hi, the Double Chocolate Chip Cookies look so good. I want to make them but I was just wondering how much flour is 2.25 cups? Is it 2 1/4 cups? Thank you.
Hi Connie! Yes, it is 2 and 1/4 cups of flour. :)
These are, in my opinion, the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had and made and I’ve made lot of different recipes trying to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie and I’ve finally found it! I will never use another recipe again! Thank you so much!
I am so happy you love these! Thanks so much for your comment Jeni. :)
These look delicious! I wish I can grab one right now!
WOW! These cookies are quite delicious!
OMG! Look great! And I bet they taste incredible!